Eucalyptus tree removal riles Tamalpais Valley

Worried they'll be left with a barren landscape, Tamalpais Valley residents have put the brakes on government efforts to rid the area of fire-prone eucalyptus trees.

When word spread months ago of a plan to wipe out hundreds of the towering non-native trees - familiar to motorists traveling along a stretch of Highway 1 - some residents of the Mount Tamalpais hillside launched a campaign to halt plans by the National Park Service and Marin County Fire Department.

"We're not saying eucalyptus are great trees," said Peter Sorcher, whose view from his Erica Road home reaches across the marked valley. "What people are not taking into account is how it's going to affect the quality of life here. They act as a big wind buffer and the fog gets caught up in there."

Sorcher, a five-year resident who gathered more than 100 signatures on a petition over the past few weeks, said neighbors feared lack of funds for restoration and an Oregon logging firm's offer to clear the area would have left them with a moonscape. The Tamalpais Valley encompasses about 2,500 households.

The lack of restoration in the area when eucalyptus trees were removed after a 12-acre fire in 2004 left the hillside "looking like hell," said Sorcher, 42.

"There has to be a more elegant solution."

Rich Weideman, spokesman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said the 22 to 27 acres of federal land were targeted by fire officials in 2006 because the trees pose a high fire risk in an area adjacent to houses. He confirmed that an Oregon contractor had offered to clear the land for free in exchange for the wood, but that logging plans have been put on hold after the community outcry.

"We basically took a step back because we need more community outreach and need to put the contract out to bid," said Weideman, noting the idea was mentioned by a park service representative at a May public meeting attended by about 50 people. An environmental impact report has been filed for the project.

Eucalyptus globulus, or Tasmanian blue gum, was introduced to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1853 from Australia as an ornamental tree. The trees grow fast and tall, but the invasive species poses a severe fire hazard because of its oil content and accumulation of dead, dry leaves and constantly shedding bark.

Weideman said native plant replacement is part of agency tree removal projects for fire reasons, but budget shortfalls have put such funding in limbo. He said the agency would continue research this winter, followed by community outreach in the spring and possible tree removal next fall and winter.

Weideman said under the approved fire management plan, the park service has put forward "in the best possible scenario" to clear 500 acres a year in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. But he acknowledged restoration funding to plant new trees in those areas "remains an issue."

"It's a very emotional issue for people," he said. "Tree removal in a park setting has its very strong advocates and people who are against it. People don't feel neutral about it."

Actor Peter Coyote, whose Tamalpais Valley home borders the area, said he was pleased to be rid of the eucalyptus before he learned that nothing was ready to replace them.

"Anybody can say let's cut the trees down," said Coyote, who narrated the DVD "Marin on Fire," a wildfire preparedness film created by FireSafe Marin. "They want to cut it down without really any provision for what will be left. If there are no options, there will be no restoration."

Jim Kasper, an Erica Road resident of 32 years, has volunteered his time helping the park service restore the fire-damaged hillside. Despite regular mailings, he has seen little neighborhood involvement in the effort.

"I know there is a limitation on park service funding and personnel, but my objective is to find other ways to supplement (tree removal) rather than not doing anything," he said, suggesting grants, manpower and fundraising. "People understand the hazards of eucalyptus. Don't just say no, but figure out how you complement what needs to be done."

Sue Fritzke, supervisory vegetation ecologist for the park service and project manager for Tamalpais Valley, said there is no project yet to manage.

"I think people jumped the gun and thought we'd move forward with something that was not done completely and without doing due diligence in terms of leaving a landscape satisfactorily," she said. "All of those things are incorrect."

Fritzke said agency restoration will include native vegetation of coast live oak and coastal scrubs similar to 6-inch-tall plants placed in the area after the fire four years ago. The tiny plants need time to get their roots established, she said.

"The work is happening but it takes a long time."

Kent Julin, a Marin County forester, said the 2004 fire should have been a wake-up call to the neighborhood.

"That neighborhood is the highest risk in the county next to eucalyptus trees," he said. "I don't see the eucalyptus forest as being an appropriate neighbor to our communities. We had a near miss four years ago. If you've got potentially explosive eucalyptus next to your home, it would be irresponsible not to do something for yourself and your neighbors."

He said the park service is committed to doing the right thing.

"They won't just walk away," he said.

RAMPED UP EFFORTS TO CURB FIRE THREAT

Fire and park officials have stepped up efforts to combat the invasive eucalyptus.

The Australian import, brought to the region in 1853, has thrived on the California coast. Oily leaves and dry ground litter have made the tree a potent fuel source for wildfires.

"Eucalyptus is one of the more volatile trees around due to its oil content and amount of debris that comes off on an annual basis," said county Fire Chief Ken Massucco. "It is very susceptible to major conflagrations."

Massucco said his department has partnered with the National Park Service to clear agency land of the trees.

Kent Julin, a forester with county fire, noted state park officials have mounted efforts over the past decade to remove the trees from areas including China Camp and Angel Island.

The trees don't make the best neighbors.

"Eucalyptus is an aggressive colonizer," he said. "It inhibits the growth of other plants." Top-heavy branches can fall without warning, prompting the nickname "widowmaker."

The National Park Service has targeted removal of eucalyptus trees as part of a long-term fire management plan. Rich Weideman, a spokesman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said critics have complained about slow restoration programs and use of the herbicide Roundup to prevent stumps from sending up new shoots.

"Ideally I'd go in and grind stumps into the ground, but it's an extremely expensive process," he said.